ARCHITECTURE OF BURMA (MYANMAR)

Burma (Myanmar)

Called “The Land of PAGODAS and TEMPLES” as the landscape is dominated by pagodas or stupas.

Hpaya

Zedi , Pahto, but are also commonly called ______ synonymous with “Buddha“

Hpongyi Kyaung

monasteries

Indian subcontinent

North-West of Burma

China, Laos and Thailand

South East and East of Burma

Timber, and Teak and Brick

Two important materials of Burmese Architecture

Theravada Buddhist

majority of religion in Burma

Bagan

an ancient capital and one of the four most important Burmese Buddhist pilgrimage sites

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda

one of the four most important Burmese Buddhist pilgrimage located in Mon State

Mahamuni Buddha

one of the four most important Burmese Buddhist pilgrimage located in Mandalay

Shwedagon Pagoda

one of the four most important Burmese Buddhist pilgrimage located in Yangon

monarchy

Socio-political status of Burma was absolute _______ before being annexed by the British Raj.

Britains

Burma was colonized by ________

Post Mandalay

Burma is historically referred to as __________

Rich and intricate artistry

Architectural Character of Burmese Architecture

Imagination, vitality and skill

Expression of _________, __________, and ______ is also an Architectural Character of Burmese Architecture

3 to 5

Pagodas or Stupas in Burma was built upon a plinth of _ to _ terraces.

square

Burmese Temples was usually _________ in plan

Brick

Burmese Architecture uses Massive ______ walls

True Arch

This was used widely for Burmese openings and are only used specifically in Burma.

plastered jambs

Windows in Burma are coated with ____________

Pediments and Perforated

Windows in Burma use Decorative ________ and ________ Stone or Brick Plate filling

graduated tiered

Burmese roofs use _________ roofs

limited

Columns in Burma are _______

wood, lacquer and gilt

Burmese ornaments used carved _____, ______, and ______.

Bagan

situated on the left bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River and approximately 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Mandalay.

Capital

Bagan was a site of an old _______ city of Myanmar.

Buddhist shrines

Bagan is a Pilgrimage center and contains ancient ___________ that have been restored and redecorated and are in current use.

Ananda

• Completed in 1091 A.D. by King Kyanzittha and modeled after the legendary Nandamula cave in the Himalaya Mountains.

• Contained within the temple are 4 great statues of the Buddhas.

educating

Anada has been built with bricks and plaster depicting iconographic images in stones and plaques (terra-cotta glazed tiles) with the main purpose of _______ the people of the region in the religious ethos of Theravada Buddhism and in accordance with the personal beliefs of the King Kyanzittha.

Dhammayangyi Gawdawpalin

60 m. temple built in the 12th c. by King Narapatisithu.

meditation

In contrast to the stupas, the hollow gu-style temple, Dhammayangyi Gawdawpalin is a structure used for __________, devotional worship of the Buddha and other Buddhist rituals

Mahabodhi

Smaller version of the famous Bodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, India (where the Buddha attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree

King Nantaungmya

Mahabodhi was built during the reign of _____________ (1210-1234) and is completely covered with niches containing seated Buddha figures.

Mahamuni

A pagoda in which Buddha is housed under. It was built in the 1800s.

The Great Sage

also known as the Maha Myat Muni Paya, Rakhine Paya, Payagyi, is a major Buddhist pilgrimage site.

Rakhine State

Buddha statue was brought from __________ in 1784 by King Bodawpaya as spoils of war

accessible

The difference between a pagoda and a stupa is that the monument of pagodas are ________ unlike stupas

Shwezigon

• Built as the most important reliquary shrine in Bagan.

• Begun by King Anawrahta and completed by King Kyanzittha in 1089.

bones and hairs

Shwezigon contains several _____ and ______ of the Buddha.

Pre-Buddhist Nat worship

__________ were combined with Buddhist themes in the Shwezigon’s construction

Kyaiktiyo

Known as Golden Rock, famous Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Burma.

large boulder

Believers claim that the ___________ was placed on the cliff of Kyaiktiyo 2,500 years ago, by two nats.

hair

Atop the gilded boulder (of Kyaiktiyo) is a 5.5 m (18 ft) pagoda, which is believed to contain a _____ of the Buddha.

Shwedagon

Sits on Singuttara Hill and dominates the skyline of Rangoon, Burma.

gold plated

Shwedagon is a 98.0 m. (320-360 ft.) high solid _______ pagoda, covered in 60 tons of gold leaf.

Octagonal

Shwedagon used an ________ base with 8 smaller stupas on each of its 8 sides, making a total of 64.

tazaungs and zayats

Many pavilions (_______), resting places(____), assorted images, statues, temples, shrines and smaller pagodas are grouped around the massive central stupa (of Shwedagon).

Manokthihas

_________ (sphinxes of Shwedagon), surrounded by a number of “chintes” are found, one at each corner of the platform.

Popa Taung Kalat

2,417 feet, an ancient, sheer-sided volcanic plug

Taung Kalat

A Buddhist monastery is located at the summit of _______ (of Popa Taung Kalat).

U Khandi

At one time, the Buddhist hermit _______ (of Popa Taung Kalat) maintained the stairway of 777 steps to the summit of Taung Kalat.

Ngaphechaung

Wooden monastery built on stilts and located in Inle Lake.

old Myanmar’s Buddha

Ngaphechaung is also known for a collection of ___________ images from different areas that are worth seeing.

Nga Phe Chaung

is the biggest and oldest monastery on the Inle Lake and is worth visiting for its historical purposes and architecture

Shwenandaw

Monastery built of wood, and is one of the oldest wooden buildings in Mandalay that was spared from damage during the WW II.

Mandalay Palace

Shwenadaw was Originally located within the grounds of ________.

figures and flowers

Shwenandaw with its intricate woodcarvings - ornamentation of ______ and _______.

gold plated and glass mosaic

Walls (of Shwenandaw) were once _______ and adorned with ________, both inside and outside

Mandalay

It is the last royal palace of the last Burmese monarchy.

King Mindon

The Mandalay palace was constructed, between 1857 and 1859 as part of ________’s founding of the new royal capital city of Mandalay.

citadel and east

The palace (Mandalay) itself is at the centre of the _______ and faces ______

traditional Burmese

The plan of Mandalay Palace largely follows the ________ palace design, inside a walled fort surrounded by a moat

layers of roof

The significance of buildings are reflected to the number of _________ it has.